Epsilon Eridani system
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There is more information available on this subject at Epsilon Eridani system on the English Wikipedia. |
| Epsilon Eridani system | |
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Spectral type: |
K2 Orange-red dwarf system[5] |
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Asteroids: |
Two asteroid belts |
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The Epsilon Eridani system (sometimes rendered ε Eridani)[6] is a planetary system situated 10.5 light-years from Earth,[3][4] and is identified as a region in FLEETCOM Sector One.[1] It was home to several habitable planets colonized by the Unified Earth Government, most notably Reach. At 10.5 light-years from its sister system, the Sol system, it is one of the closest neighbors of humanity's homeworld.[5]
In the summer of 2552, the Covenant invaded the system and attacked Epsilon Eridani's major colonies. Reach ultimately fell to the Covenant and was glassed,[7] while Tribute was brutally assaulted and partially glassed.[8] Following the Human-Covenant War, at least Tribute, Reach and Beta Gabriel had been resettled by humanity.[9][10][11][12]
Overview[edit]
Planetary system[edit]
The Epsilon Eridani system is home to at least six planets, two asteroid belts, and at least one minor planet. A massive Oort cloud is located on the outer edge of the system.[13] At least five of the worlds that orbit Epsilon Eridani are known to be inhabited.
| Name | Image | Description | Orbiting locations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epsilon Eridani I | NA | Closest planet to the star.[Note 1] | |
| Reach (Epsilon Eridani II) |  |
The former military center of the UNSC, and the most developed human colony. Glassed in 2552 but at least partially habitable by 2589.[14] |
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| Tribute (Epsilon Eridani III) | N/A | A major human colony, known for its strong industrial capacity and large population.[15] Partially glassed during the Battle of Tribute, under UEG control as of 2558. | Emese (Epsilon Eridani IIIa) - Tribute's sole natural satellite. |
| Epsilon Eridani IV | N/A | Known to be the site of an Insurrection.[16][Note 1] | |
| Beta Gabriel (Unknown orbital position) | N/A | Largely uninhabited, converted into an outdoors resort by wealthy entrepreneurs. Occupied by a Brute pack during or otherwise soon after the Fall of Reach.[17][18] | |
| Circumstance (Unknown orbital position) | N/A | A world famous for its universities and courts of justice. Status unknown.[19] | |
| Tantalus (Unknown orbital position) | N/A | A human colony glassed after the Covenant's siege in the system in 2552.[20][21] | |
| Oort cloud | N/A | A cloud consisting largely of ice, on the edge of the system. |
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History[edit]
Early history[edit]
The first planetary confirmations of planet Reach in Epsilon Eridani occurred in the 21st-century.[5]
The Epsilon Eridani system was recognized to have an improbably high number of habitable planets, a fact that was seen as serendipitous to the early colonization efforts. Initial colonization efforts in the system faced significant challenges in marshaling political and economic support. Interest in the system's colonization potential initially focused on Tribute and Circumstance, though it was Reach that would soon capture the attention of UEG planners.[10]
Colonization and human hold[edit]
- Main article: Project OUTBOUND
The system was originally colonized by the colony ship Odyssey with the first wave of humanity's extrasolar colonization in 2362, landing on Reach.[22] Beta Gabriel would be settled in 2363.[23] Afterwards, Tribute was colonized on August 8, 2364 when CAA Casbah arrived and established the initial navigation and communication satellite constellation on the planet,[10] with Circumstance being settled the same year.[23]
By 2390, the bulk of the UNSC's administrative and technical infrastructure was moved to the system. Corporate investments followed, with the construction of the first extrasolar shipyard facilities and material refineries.